The Not So Mysterious Chayote

February 5, 2011

What is a chayote? Other than my immediate family (parents, grandpa, two sisters), I’ve only met one or two people who know what it is or have eaten it. I remember being in training class at a former job, talking with my class of about 10-15 people and I mentioned the chayote. I received a chorus of “Chayote? Do you mean coyote? What’s that? Are you sure you know what you’re talking about?” Needless to say, it’s been brought to my attention time and time again that what I eat is different. *Shrug my shoulders* Ok. But now I get to tell you a little bit about it.

The chayote is a light green, pear shaped gourd. The best way to describe the taste is like a summer squash, but it stays firmer when cooked in the soup. Unlike the summer squash that has a bunch of seeds in the middle, the chayote has one seed in the middle that has a nutty-like flavor. It has a thin skin that doesn’t need to be peeled off when cooked in the soup. One can actually eat most of the skin. The tougher skin to avoid is usually on the top and bottom.

My favorite way to eat a chayote is in this soup. But like a baby pumpkin, it can be cut up and heated, and smothered in butter, and eaten by itself. The root and leaves can be eaten as well. It’s also used in salads and salsas. And it’s a good source of amino acids and vitamin C.

I’ve eaten chayote for as long as I remember eating the Caldo de Res soup. Since so many people have asked me about it, I found the perfect site for additional information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chayote The above picture is also from that site. This is my tribute to the not so mysterious Chayote. For those that love to try new foods, Enjoy!